In this blog post, we will examine whether the advancement of biotechnology will be a tool that drives the evolution of humankind or a weapon that will bring about new ethical and social crises.
Over the past 4 billion years, life has evolved according to nature, and the rulers of the Earth have constantly changed. There was a time when lush green ferns dominated the Earth, and another when giant dinosaurs ruled the land. Now, humans, or Homo sapiens, are the rulers of the Earth. Ferns gave up the Earth to the animals that fed on them, and dinosaurs are believed to have disappeared due to a meteorite collision. So how will Homo sapiens meet its end? Paradoxically, scholars are saying that advances in science and technology will ultimately bring about the end of evolution.
Looking back on human history, humans have developed science and technology while constantly exploring and challenging nature. The use of fire, the creation of tools, and the beginning of agriculture were all attempts by humans to understand nature and manipulate it to their advantage. However, these developments have not always had positive results. Since the Industrial Revolution, we have achieved tremendous technological progress, but at the same time, we have caused serious problems such as environmental pollution and resource depletion. These problems have taught us an important lesson: how well we understand, respect, and utilize the laws of nature will determine our future.
Specifically, what technologies will bring about the end of Sapiens? The academic community predicts that three major scientific fields will enable the evolution of Sapiens. These are biotechnology, which allows us to artificially manipulate nature; cyborg engineering, which gives humans inorganic properties; and inorganic engineering, which creates non-living organisms. Among these, biotechnology is the science with the greatest potential, both technologically and socially.
Biotechnology is a field that is familiar to many people. Biotechnology will bring about biological changes in Homo sapiens in various fields. A representative technology of biotechnology is genetic engineering. Seedless watermelons and sweet potatoes, which we can easily find in supermarkets, are all the result of genetic engineering. In the future, it will be possible to apply genetic engineering to humans as well as plants. More specifically, genetic engineering can be easily carried out if we have a genetic map containing genomic information. Plants with few genes are easy to map, but the human genome is very complex due to the large number of genes and the size of the human body, and it was not fully mapped until the 21st century. Now, biotechnologists can look at an individual’s genetic map to determine when they are likely to develop a disease and how long they are expected to live. If we can prepare in advance by knowing our own disease information, humanity will be able to live much longer, which will lead to evolution. For example, if you can predict that you will develop liver disease in your 60s, you can practice abstaining from alcohol in your youth and develop habits of eating foods that are good for the liver.
In addition to simply changing lifestyle habits, biotechnology can also directly contribute to physical health. Although the technology to create artificial organs from cow or pig stem cells has not yet been commercialized, it has already been developed, and it is expected that in the distant future, it will be possible to easily replace diseased organs. Considering that most human deaths are caused by disease, eternal life for humanity will surely become possible.
When you think about it this way, the evolution of Homo sapiens through biotechnology seems very easy. However, we must consider whether these technologies are feasible and whether there are any social issues that need to be addressed. First, from a technical perspective, the types of organs that can be created using artificial organ technology are currently quite limited. Compared to other organs, arms, legs, and ears are relatively simple in structure and can be easily cultivated, but artificial hearts and brains, which are essential for the eternal life of humankind, are biologically very complex and must perform various functions, so it is impossible to create them. Not only artificial organ technology, but also in the case of genetic mapping, although it is possible to draw a map, there will be limitations in the development of technology to interpret that map. In the future, it may be possible to know qualitatively that a liver disease will develop, but it may be difficult to determine the exact date or year.
A more realistic problem than technical issues is the social atmosphere. Various biotechnology research requires animal testing, but in academia today, there are constant arguments that indiscriminate animal testing is unethical, and if humans become the subject of such experiments, research ethics issues will always arise. For the sake of future humanity and the evolution of Homo sapiens, we must consider whether everyone would understand if a few humans were used as test subjects. Not only research ethics, but also the ultimate goal of research will become a major social issue. Suppose that the tremendous advancement of biotechnology allows Homo sapiens to evolve and gain eternal life. If science moves ahead at a time when social structures are not yet ready to accept such an evolution, it will cause great confusion. Even looking at the example of the development of computer technology, it is easy to find news stories about hackers using new methods to hack into the computer networks of numerous public institutions. If the problem of administrative agencies’ inability to keep up with scientific developments is not resolved, the biotechnology developed for the benefit of humanity is likely to become a poison.
Furthermore, advances in biotechnology will raise new moral and ethical issues alongside the evolution of humanity. Once genetic engineering and artificial organ technology become commercially available, they are likely to be used for purposes beyond simply treating disease, such as enhancing human capabilities. Such changes will raise fundamental questions about the nature of humanity. How far can we accept technology while maintaining our humanity? Furthermore, once these technologies become commercially available, who will reap the benefits? The possibility of economic inequality leading to technological inequality cannot be ignored. If only the wealthy can receive cutting-edge treatments and upgrades, this will intensify social conflict.
Living organisms are constantly evolving. And when evolution is complete, the previous generation of species becomes extinct. In the case of sapiens, it is expected that evolution will be achieved through the power of biotechnology. Lifestyle management through the completion of genetic mapping and artificial organ technology will completely change human life. However, there will also be extreme technical limitations and social opposition. Nevertheless, if we can develop these technologies without rushing and while maintaining research ethics, Sapiens will be able to achieve a beautiful end through evolution, unlike the previous rulers of the Earth, who met a catastrophic end.
